Edible animal greeting cards and treats

ABSTRACT

Greeting cards and other items to be enjoyed by animals and pets combine an article composed of a non-toxic material which is typically chewable or fully consumable and digestible, in conjunction with a greeting that may include a graphical image (i.e., of an animal, pet, and/or pet owner), a textual message, or both. An edible greeting card embodiment assumes the form of a panel having a thickness, a perimeter, and front and back surfaces and at least one message on one or both of the front and back surfaces using and edible colorant or other medium. In embodiments utilizing two or more such panels or construction elements, joining means are provided in the form of a flexible strip threaded through holes, an edible adhesive or flexible edible hinge. Alternate embodiments may be suspended from a cage rail by a hook, wire. While selected embodiments of the invention may be constructed of a single substance such as rawhide, alternate embodiments may be constructed from a variety of ingredients including Nylabone, grains, minerals and seeds. The ingredients will generally vary depending on the animal for which the greeting article is intended.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 10/095,510 filed Mar. 12,2002 , now U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,687, which is a continuation-in-part ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/540,776, filed Mar. 31, 2000, nowU.S. Pat. No. 6,355,285, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 08/817,278, filed Apr. 10, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No.6,063,412, which is the U.S. national phase of PCT application No.PCT/US96/13070, filed Aug. 6, 1996, which claims priority of U.S.provisional application Ser. No. 60/001,957, filed Aug. 7, 1995, theentire contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to novelty items for animals,and more particularly to edible greeting cards and other treats forpets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many families have pets which are increasingly treated as members of thefamily. Many pet owners enjoy including their beloved pets in holidayfestivities such as birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day,Thanksgiving, and Halloween. As greeting cards are traditionally givento loved ones on such holidays, many pet owners give greeting cards totheir pets or send greeting cards from themselves or their pets to thepets of relatives and close friends.

A variety of patents disclose greeting cards which include gifts orwhere the card itself may be construed as a gift. U.S. Pat. No.4,203,516 to Stonoga et al. discloses a novelty greeting card wherein adog biscuit is contained within a non-edible greeting card particularlyconfigured to hold the dog biscuit. The greeting card disclosed byStonoga et al. requires the pet owner to remove the pet treat from itsprotective pocket within the non-edible greeting card prior to ingestionby the pet.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,365 to Stuart discloses a greeting card assemblyhaving a removable insert containing a message. The message insert, onceremoved from the greeting card, may be kept as an ornament such as aChristmas tree ornament or other similar decorative item.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,047 to Hess discloses a novelty greeting cardcomprising a substantially three-dimensional caricature which iscollapsible onto a base sheet. The caricature is inflated by blowing airinto the caricature through a hole in the base sheet, thus providing athree-dimensional gift in a substantially flat greeting card.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,496 to Davidson et al. discloses a combinationgreeting card and gift pouch. A single sheet is tri-folded into a closedpouch, with adhesive provided along the margins of the sheet, therebyenabling the pouch to be sealed and mailed as a greeting card.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,527 to Acosta et al. discloses a card having apivotable rear panel whereby a photograph or other picture may be placedwithin the card to attractively mount the photo or picture.

Several U.S. patents disclose items which are ingestible by animals,such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,758 to Fruthaler et al., which disclosesshaped, flavored articles which are attractive to masticating animalsand have the texture, appearance and aroma of natural food materials.U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,916 to Skoch discloses an animal feed supplement inblock form. U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,058 to Chandler discloses a compositeanimal food having a crunchy shell surrounding a deformable core ofedible protein and water soluble solids.

Despite these items and associated available products, the neednevertheless remains for edible greeting cards and other treats foranimals, inlcuding domesticated animals and pets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is broadly directed to greeting cards and otheritems to be enjoyed by animals and pets, including products that aresuitable for chewing and/or ingestion. In each case, the articlecombines an article composed of a non-toxic material which is typicallychewable or fully consumable and digestible, in conjunction with agreeting that may include a graphical image (i.e., of an animal, pet,and/or pet owner), a textual message, or both.

For example, according to a first preferred embodiment, an ediblegreeting card suitable for ingestion by a pet such as a horse, dog, cat,rabbit or bird assumes the form of a panel having a thickness, aperimeter, and front and back surfaces. At least one message is providedon one or both of the front and back surfaces using and edible colorantor other medium.

In embodiments utilizing two or more panels, edible joining means areprovided so that one edible panel may be joined to another edible panel,creating a joined structure which may stand upright on a horizontalsurface. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a flexiblerawhide strip is threaded through holes placed proximate to theperimeter of the edible panels. Alternate embodiments may utilize anedible adhesive or flexible edible hinge. Other alternate embodiments ofthe invention may be constructed of a single member having an indented,perforated or thinner hinge area positioned between two panel areas sothat the single member may be folded along the flexible hinge.

In alternate embodiments, the greeting item may be suspended from a cagerail by a hook, wire or placed in a holder. This permits convenientpostioning within a cage or stall, by mechanisms such as a clip havingits free ends embedded in the panel, or a hook constructed of the ediblematerials which comprise the panel and which is formed integrally withthe panel. Alternatively, a holder may be attached to the side of thecage or stall and the greeting card placed within the holder, the cardresting on its supporting section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view of an embodiment of the present invention having asingle panel;

FIG. 4A is a view of an alternate embodiment of the present inventionhaving a cutout;

FIG. 4B is the rear view of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5A is a view of another alternate embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5B is a view of the interior surfaces of the embodiment of theinvention depicted in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6A is a view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention ina disassembled state;

FIG. 6B is a view of the embodiment of FIG. 6A properly assembled;

FIG. 7A is a view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7B is a view of the interior surfaces of the embodiment depicted inFIG. 7A;

FIG. 8 is a view of an alternate embodiment of the present inventionwherein three edible rigid panels are utilized;

FIG. 9 is a view of an alternate embodiment of the present inventionwhich utilizes three rigid edible panels;

FIG. 10A is a view of another alternate embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 10B is side view of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 10A;

FIG. 11A is a view of an alternate embodiment of the present inventionwherein a panel has a contoured exterior surface;

FIG. 11B is a view of an interior surface of the embodiment depicted inFIG. 11A;

FIG. 12A is a view of an alternate embodiment of the present inventionhaving a cutout: and

FIG. 12B is a view of an interior surface of the embodiment depicted inFIG. 12A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is broadly directed to greeting cards and otheritems to be enjoyed by animals and pets, including products that aresuitable for chewing and/or ingestion. Thus, the term “edible” shouldinclude “non-toxic” as well as chewable and entirely consumable ordigestible by the intended animal.

A preferred embodiment of the invention, shown generally at 10 in FIG.1, includes a first edible panel 12 and a second edible panel 18, firstpanel 12 having a perimeter 13, interior surface 14 (see FIG. 5B),exterior surface 16, and a second panel 18 having a perimeter 19,interior surface 20 and exterior surface 22 (see FIG. 4B). In thisembodiment the panels are preferably rectangular and flat, but may haverounded corners and assume other geometries, including non-planardesigns.

Edible panels 12 and 18 may be joined by a variety of means to form arigid edible greeting card which may be opened to view the interiorsurfaces 14 and 20 of panels 12 and 18, respectively. As shown in theembodiment depicted in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the perimeter 19 of secondedible panel 18 is attached to perimeter 13 of first edible panel 12 viaflexible edible hinge 26. In a preferred embodiment, hinge 26, comprisedof rawhide, has a portion of its perimeter embedded in panels 12 and 18which are, prior to solidification or hardening of panels 12 and 18,comprised primarily of grains. Alternately, a sticky substance such asmolasses or corn syrup may be used as an edible adhesive, permitting theflexible edible hinge to be “glued” to the rigid edible panel.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, first edible panel 12, edible hinge 26, andsecond edible panel 18 are formed from a single continuous material,such as a panel of rawhide. Hinge 26 preferably has a thinnercross-section than edible panels 12 and 18, giving edible hinge 26increased flexibility while maintaining sufficient rigidity in ediblepanels 12 and 18.

In an alternate embodiment of the invention, as depicted in FIGS. 7A and7B, an indentation or perforation may be formed in the continuoussection of material between panels 12 and 18, forming their perimetersand hinge 26. The continuous material is then bent along theindentation, thus forming the card as depicted in FIGS. 7A and 7B. In afurther alternate embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, panels 12 and 18include a plurality of holes 29 positioned along a portion of respectiveperimeters 13 and 19. An edible stripe 28, preferably rawhide or otherflexible edible material, is threaded through holes 29, thus joiningedible panels 12 and 18.

Each greeting card 10 has at least one message region 24 positioned onat least one surface of at least one panel. An edible message 30containing a plurality of characters such as letters, numbers, graphics,symbols or marks, may be placed within message region 24. The ediblemessage preferably is an edible ink having ingredients selected from thegroup including corn syrup and glycerine. Nontoxic coloring agents suchas FD&C certified colors, natural coloring agents and other ancillaryingredients such as catnip may be included in the edible ink.

A variety of printing techniques may be used to apply the characters ofthe edible message to the rigid edible panels, including silk screening,lithography, laser imprinting and embossing. The edible message may beformed of gum paste or other edible food decoration which may then beplaced in the message region of the edible panel. Edible fooddecorations typically comprises ingredients including corn starch, cornsyrup, sugar and glycerine. Gum paste typically comprises ingredientsincluding gelatin, gum tragacanth, shortening and glucose. In selectedembodiments such as those utilizing panels of rawhide or other suitablematerials such as compressed grains and cereals, the message may be hotstamped into the rawhide utilizing a process similar to that used forimprinting leather goods. Lower-temperature embossing, molding, and soforth, may also be used to form the message, regardless of theunderlying material. Alternate embodiments may first place the ediblemessage on an edible decal, sticker, rice paper or wafer paper which isthen applied to the message regions of the panels.

In the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1-4, a supporting section 54 may bepositioned along and attached to perimeters 13 and 19 of edible panels12 and 18, thus permitting greeting card 10 to be set on a horizontalsurface in the vicinity of the pet, such as the bottom of a cage, afloor or card holder. As depicted in the embodiment of FIG. 3,supporting section 54 is preferably thicker than panel 12, thusassisting greeting card 10 to remain in an upright, erect position onthe horizontal surface.

Alternate embodiments may utilize a wire 60 embedded into edible panel12 or other shaped item, allowing wire ends 62 to be wrapped around arigid projecting member such as a cage bar or hook and suspended, in acage, for example. The wire 60 may be provided as the sole means forplacing the greeting in the vicinity of the pet, or may be used inconjunction with supporting section such as section 54. A supportingsection 54 is preferably utilized for greeting cards ingested by horses,dogs and cats, while a wire 60 is preferably utilized for greeting cardsingested by birds or small mammals such as gerbils, hamsters andrabbits.

The perimeters 13 and 19 of the edible greeting may be variouslyconfigured so as to provide a visually pleasing appearance. As depictedin FIG. 4A, first panel 12 is configured so that a portion of firstpanel 12 projects above second panel 18. As shown in FIG. 4B, theextending portion of FIG. 12 may be mirrored in a cutout 56 of panel 18.The perimeters and thickness of panels 12 and 18 may be configured so asto enhance the ability of the pet to ingest the greeting card 10. Asshown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, messages 30 may be displayed in message region24 on the interior surfaces 14 and 20 of panels 12 and 18.

As depicted in FIGS. 7A and 7B, some of the message regions 24 providedon greeting card 10 or other item according to the invention may be leftblank so that the giver may personalize the item. In such cases a marker32 may be provided which contains edible ink having ingredients selectedfrom the group including corn syrup and glycerine. Nontoxic coloringagents such as FD&C certified colors, natural color additives and otherancillary ingredients such as catnip may be included in the edible ink.Marker 32 has a tip 33 configured to apply a line of edible ink ontomessage regions 24.

FIG. 8 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention wherein athird panel 34 is utilized in conjunction with first panel 12 and secondpanel 18, the panels being joined to create a tri-fold greeting cardhaving messages 30 displayed thereupon. An alternate embodiment of thepresent invention shown in FIG. 9 utilizes a third panel 34 to provideadditional stability between first panel 12 and second panel 18,enabling greeting card 10 to stand upright on a horizontal surface. Asshown in FIG. 9, supporting sections 54 are positioned along perimeter13 of first panel 12, perimeter 35 of third panel 34, and perimeter 19of second panel 18.

The embodiments depicted in FIGS. 10A and 10B utilize second panel 18primarily as a support for first panel 12. In this embodiment, messageregions 24 are preferably only placed on panel 12. In the embodimentdepicted in FIGS. 10A and 10B, a tab and slot arrangement may beutilized to attach first panel 12 and second panel 18.

As shown in FIG. 11A, cutouts 58 may be formed in first panel 12,enabling a viewer to see the interior surface 20 of second panel 18,shown in FIG. 11B. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12A, first panel 12may be sufficiently thick so as to enable a pattern having a depth to beintegrally formed into first panel 12. The heart-shaped depression 64may additionally be utilized as a message region 24. Depressions havinga variety of shapes may be utilized, such as rectangles, ovals, andother geometric shapes.

An alternate embodiment of the invention, shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, mayinclude additional construction elements such as fourth panel 40, fifthpanel 41, sixth panel 42, seventh panel 43 and eighth panel 44. Theembodiment depicted in FIG. 6A is the unassembled version of thegreeting, the various panels including tabs 46 and slots 48 which permitassembly of the various panels into the greeting card 10 depicted inFIG. 6B.

The thickness of the edible greeting card 10 or other elements will varydepending upon the materials used to construct the item and the type ofanimal to which the greeting is being sent. For example, panels such as12 and 18 should be sufficiently thin to allow the receiving pet to biteand chew the panel. In a greeting card for a dog, for example, apreferred thickness is 0.25 inches, the thickness of such a card rangingbetween 0.125 inches for smaller dogs weighing under 20 pounds and 0.50inches for larger dogs weighing over 65 pounds. For very large dogbreeds weighing over 100 pounds, a thickness of greater than 0.50 inchesmay be preferred.

The thickness of a panel for felines is preferably in the range between0.125 and 0.25 inches thick. Edible articles for birds preferably havethicknesses of approximately 0.25 inches for panels constructed of seedsand the like, while panel thicknesses of up to one inch or more may beacceptable for greetings constructed of minerals such as calciumsulfate. Greeting cards directed to horses are preferably constructed ofpanels having thicknesses of one inch and above.

While selected embodiments of the invention may be constructed of asingle substance such as rawhide, alternate embodiments may beconstructed from a variety of ingredients including Nylabone, grains,minerals and seeds. The ingredients will generally vary depending on theanimal for which the greeting is intended.

The greeting items may also include ancillary ingredients such asbinding agents, vitamins, flavorings and colors to enhance themanufacturability, rigidity, palatability and nutritional value of theproduct. For example, agents which enhance the manufacturability orrigidity may include a leavening agent such as baking powder or bakingsoda, an anti-caking agent, a humectant, an emulsifier, a suspendingagent or a wetting agent. Illustrative examples of lubricants oranti-caking agents which may be used in the invention include magnesiumstearate, calcium stearate, solid polyethylene glycols, sodium laurylsulfate, or mixtures thereof. Humectants illustratively include glyceroland propylene glycol, and wetting agents that may be includedillustratively include cetyl alcohol and glycerol monostearate.

As used herein “a binding agent” may be a sticky substance or asubstance which becomes sticky in combination with other ingredientssuch as water. For example, such agents may include molasses, cornsyrup, peanut butter, food gum, a starch such as potato starch, tapiocastarch or corn starch, honey, maple syrup and sugar. A preservative suchas potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate or calcium propionate may beincluded in order to retard growth of microorganisms and fungi. It willbe apparent to those skilled in the art that an ingredient may havemultiple functions in the panel of the present invention. For example,honey may serve as both a binding agent and sweetener.

Vitamins may be provided according to the nutritional requirements ofthe target animal. A vitamin may be supplied an isolated relatively pureform, such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, choline chloride, or as a knowncomponent of another ingredient of the article. For example, a fruitsuch as peach or pear, a vegetable, a grain, egg or meat containing adesirable vitamin may be included. As a more specific example, carrot,spinach or apple may be included to supply Vitamin A. Potato may beincluded as a source of Vitamin C. Vitamins are also present in variousoils that may be added; illustrative examples of an oil that may beadded include canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil and vegetable oil.

A flavoring agent may be added to enhance the palatability of the ediblearticle and the choice of flavoring agent will again depend on thetargeted animal. Illustrative examples of flavorings include anise oil,carob, peanuts, fruit flavors, sweeteners such as honey, sugar, maplesyrup and fructose, herbs such as parsley, celery leaves, peppermint,spearmint, garlic, or combinations thereof.

Although rawhide is preferred for its structural and proteinaceousproperties, particularly for canine recipients, other examples ofdesirable animal-derived ingredients include meat (including animalmuscle, organ meats, as well as animal parts not typically consumed byhumans such as bovine trachea) and meat by-products, and include foodsuch as beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, lamb, organ meats such asliver, meat meals such as chicken, lamb and beef meals, fish meal, bonemeals and ground bone. Animal-derived food such as casein, milk (whichmay include dry forms and lowered fat forms, such as dry skim milk),yogurt, gelatin, cheese and egg may also be used.

Further vitamin or nutritional supplements may include polysaccharidesand fiber. A polysaccharide may be included in the form of a complexfood such as a fruit, a starch such as potato or tapioca starch, ananimal source such as bovine cartilage in trachea. Polysaccharide mayalso be provided separately, for example, in the form of chondroitinsulfate or glucosamine HCI. Fiber may be also provided in the form of awhole fruit, vegetable or seed is provided separately in forms includingwood fiber, paper fiber or cellulose fiber such as powdered cellulosefiber.

A preferred group of ingredients for edible panels are grains, whereinthe ingredients for an edible panel include a member of the groupconsisting of corn, oats, rice, alfalfa, wheat, soy, barley, rye andcombinations thereof. The grains may be present in any form consistentwith the production of the edible article including flour, bran, cereal,fiber, whole grain and meal forms, including gluten meals. Further, theform of the grain, such as rolled, crimped, ground, dehydrated ormilled, will vary depending on the animal for which the greeting card isintended and the requirements of the process by which the greeting cardis manufactured. An alternate group of ingredients for edible panels arebased upon minerals wherein the ingredients for an edible panel includea member from the group consisting of calcium, limestone, salt. Specificexamples may include calcium sulfate, calcium phosphate and calciumcarbonate and combinations thereof. Seeds used in an edible article mayinclude millet, sunflower and flax.

Other additives may include calcium, limestone (which may be in groundform), salt. Specific examples may include calcium sulfate, calciumphosphate, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate and combinationsthereof.

If the card or other article is intended for ingestion by a horse, oats,corn, wheat, soy, alfalfa or combinations thereof may preferably beincluded, for example in the form of rolled or crimped oats. The productmay additionally include a binding agent such as molasses, and vitaminadditives and minerals such as salt or ground limestone may be added toenhance the nutritional value or palatability.

Greeting cards or other articles intended for small mammals such asrabbits, hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs may preferably include aningredient such as alfalfa, corn, rice and combinations thereof.Preferably, the grain utilized is dehydrated, milled or flaked.Vegetables such as dehydrated carrots and seeds such as safflower seedsor milo seeds are preferably included as additives for small mammals.

For greeting cards and articles intended for birds, the ingredientsmight include corn, millet, alfalfa and combinations thereof, as well asa mineral or compound such as calcium, calcium sulfate, salt, magnesium,ferrous carbonate, zinc oxide, and combinations thereof. A mineral maybe included as a complex source, such as liver where liver is known tobe a source of iron, or as a relatively pure, isolated mineral source.Cuttlebone is a preferred natural source of minerals and is especiallysuitable for birds. Traditional paper may also be included for birds andother small animals.

If the greeting card or article is intended for feline, the item mayinclude a grain such as corn, wheat, rice and combinations thereof. Forexample, ground yellow corn may be used separately or together withpoultry by-products, fish meal, catnip or fish oil. Catnip may beprovided in a liquid or flake form, and may be applied or refilled bythe pet owner. Particularly in the case of cats, the item may not betechnically “edible,” though the use of catnip, for example, inconjunction with textual or graphical message would clearly fall withinthe spirit and scope of this invention.

If the recipient is a canine, rawhide is the preferred choice for panelsof a greeting card, as discussed above. Alternate ingredients mayinclude corn, wheat, rice and combinations thereof. Alternateingredients may be particularly chosen to meet the special dietary needsof selected groups of dogs, such as dogs having food allergies andweight problems. For example, a greeting having lamb and rice as theprimary ingredients are suitable for dogs having food allergies.

1. An edible greeting for a pet, comprising: an article composed of achewable or consumable material that is non-toxic to the pet; and apet-related graphical image or textual greeting applied to the articleusing a pet-edible decal, sticker, rice paper or wafer paper.
 2. Theedible greeting of claim 1, wherein the graphical image or textualgreeting is associated with a holiday, the pet's birthday, or anotherspecial occasion or event.
 3. The edible greeting of claim 1, furtherincluding a wire for hanging the article in a cage.
 4. The ediblegreeting of claim 1, further including a widened base so that thearticle stands upright.
 5. An edible greeting for a bird or other smallmammal, comprising: an article composed of a chewable or consumablematerial that is non-toxic to the bird or small mammal; a pet-relatedgraphical image or textual greeting on the article; and a wire forhanging the article in a cage.
 6. The edible greeting of claim 5,wherein the material includes corn, millet, alfalfa or combinationsthereof.
 7. The edible greeting of claim 5, wherein the materialincludes a mineral or compound such as calcium, calcium sulfate, salt,magnesium, ferrous carbonate, zinc oxide, or combinations thereof. 8.The edible greeting of claim 5, wherein the material includes a mineralderived from a complex source, such as liver where liver is known to bea source of iron, or as a relatively pure, isolated mineral source. 9.The edible greeting of claim 5, wherein the material includescuttlebone.
 10. The edible greeting of claim 5, wherein the materialincludes paper.